A Message for Non-Starters

Are you ready?

Here it is...

There is SO MUCH you can do to help your team!!!!!!!!!!!! (Whew, glad I got that out)

One thing you can do is PUSH HARD in practice. Why?
Well there are a number of great reasons:

1. Because you will improve your skills faster

2. Because you will increase your chance at earning some playing time

3. Because pushing hard in practice helps you get GAME READY just in case the starter in front of you gets sick, gets injured, has some kind of outside obligation to attend instead of coming to the game, or simply has a bad day

4. Because coaches love players that go hard in practice and HOW you practice leaves 1 of 3 impressions in your coaches mind:
a) you do things half heartedly because you're not a starter and the coaches are left with a negative impression of how you practice
b) you don't slack but you don't push either and in the words of Simon Cowell your practice efforts are "forgettable" (*note: "forgettable" usually doesn't make the coach want to put your name in that starting line-up)
c) you work hard and push yourself daily and a very positive impression is branded in your coaches mind about HOW you practice

5. Because the more you push yourself the more the starter in front of you pushes and gets better. If they don't, you get their position. If they do and they are on top of their game and they make great plays on the field - YOU just helped your team get better by pushing and challenging that starter in front of you. You just made a HUGE contribution to your team's overall performance...all because you chose to practice hard every day and push yourself and those around you.

...and that's just ONE way to help your team as a non-starter. There are many more that I'll probably share from time to time, but for now, make it a point to push and challenge yourself and those around you. You'll get better and you'll make a very positive contribution to your team's overall performance and success.

Change: Scary, but Good

Have you ever tried something new and felt frustrated or uncomfortable? I think you can relate to that feeling or maybe even think of a situation were you've experienced that. You get used to doing things a certain way, then when someone comes along and says you need to change. Though you can see the benefits of the "new way" you may resist it. Why?

Because change can be:

• frustrating
• uncomfortable
• and downright SCARY!

You may feel like we're taking two steps backward trying to do things the "new way." Even though you know that this "new way" could take you further and make things better than the old way, it's not unusual to feel like giving up on it. After all, who wants to feel frustrated, or uncomfortable, or scared? I know I don't, but sometimes it's necessary if you want to reach new heights in your game and in your life.

Too many people let frustration or being uncomfortable hold them back from making positive changes; changes that catapult them to new levels of success. Change can be frustrating and very uncomfortable and may even push you to the point of wanting to forget it all and just go back to doing things the way you used to. You know how to do it and it's been "good enough" all this time right?

But imagine what would happen if you went back to the old comfortable routine, the one you know and love. Then think about what would happen if your opponents made the choice to push through the frustration and the feeling of uncertainty and make those changes. Yes, they may have go two steps backwards, but after giving the "new way" and honest try, they'll also be taking the 5+ steps forward that you'll never take unless you learn to step out of your comfort zone.

Yes, it's feels weird. Yes, it's frustrating. Yes, it's scary, but it's also GOOD FOR YOU! How will you ever know how far you can go unless you're willing to push the envelope from time to time?

Heck, the "new way" may even go against everything you've previously known which may make it harder to accept (can you think of times in the past where this has happened-just think of the pitching or hitting mechanics that were being taught years ago). Take a look at what this "new way" has to offer, talk to others who are already trying it out, and see for yourself what the benefits could be.

If you can SEE proof and hear from other people that the "new way" really does work, then take a leap of faith, push the envelope, and step out of your comfort zone. Acknowledge that you may get frustrated, expect that you'll may be uncertain from time to time, and understand that you may move backward before you ever take those awesome steps forward. As scary as it may be, make the change, stick with it, and watch yourself soar to new heights.

To Your Ultimate Softball Success,

Stacie Mahoe

Goal Setting | Free Coaching Tips | Useful Softball Drills

How to Enjoy Practice More and Improve Your Game

One of the things that always baffles me is that people try to set goals without ever thinking about their vision. In other words, they do goal setting, but the never think about what they ultimately want, what their dream is.

It's very difficult to achieve that BIG thing and set goals to help you get there when you have no idea what it is.

So, right now I'm going to share an example of how you can set more effective goals and improve your game.

Let's not think about a huge thing right now, let's just focus on ONE practice day.

How often do you think about what you want out of practice? You probably attend practice with the hopes of improving your game or getting better right? But what would you ultimately like practice to be like?

Think about that for a second.

Maybe one of the things you want is to improve your game at least a little each day?

Maybe you want to enjoy yourself and have some fun?

Whatever it is, ask yourself if those things are happening on a daily basis.

If not, why not?

Maybe your always rushing to practice so you're already starting of full of anxiety instead of starting practice off in a positive way.

Maybe you don't really see yourself improving as much as you'd like.

The idea is to:

1. Think about what you really want out of practice
2. Figure out some reasons why that's not happening regularly
3. Then listing a few things you could do to make it happen

Maybe you really enjoy socializing with your teammates, but your always getting to practice in the nick of time, so you don't really get that opportunity.

One thing you can decide to do is: make sure you get ready for practice early and make it a point to arrive at the field at least 15 minutes before start time. That way you can take your time. You don't need to rush. You don't need to feel pressured right off the bat. You can relax, find a great spot to put your bag in, and chit chat with your friends for a bit before you have to get to your training.

Wouldn't that make your practice experience better? Wouldn't you enjoy it more than always having to rush in, run to the dugout with your equipment bag, throw it in any remaining available spot, hurry to get your shoes on, scramble to find your glove, and hustle out to the field because everyone else is already ready to go?

Which way would you rather start practice? Which way do you usually start practice?

Is this a change you can make?

Another scenario: Maybe one of the reasons you go to practice is to get better, but somehow you're not sure if it's working. Try make it a point to learn one new thing each day.

• Listen closely each day to what your coaches have to say (instead of chatting with your friends on the field)
• Observe your teammates to see if you can learn from them (instead of chatting in the back of the line when it's not your turn)
• At the end of the practice review and see if you learned anything new

If you look back and can name something you learned, you will see that you did accomplish something during practice and will feel better about your practice session. You'll also be more motivated to get out there again the next day and take another step. Since you're making it a point to learn something new, you'll probably get more out of practice because you're paying more attention and looking for ways to get better rather than just relying on your coaches to make you better. You will start to see that you are improving and raising your game by attending practice each day.

Coaches!

Have you thought of what you'd like out of practice or what you'd like your practice to be like?

Give it a try.

• Think about what you'd ultimately want your practices to be like
• Identify a few reasons why it's not like that
• Then decide on a few things you can do differently to make it better

Try it today and let me know how it goes.

These are the types of exercises you'll go through in the Goal Setting Acceleration Bootcamp - just on a larger scale and with a bit more detail.

Take the challenge of answering soul searching questions to get down to the meat of practical, action steps you can take to pump up your performance.

Sound like fun? You know I'm all about fun and I think you'll enjoy the process of going through to activities in the goal setting bootcamp. Enjoy the game more and make bigger gains.

Start today. Try the stuff in this blog post, then go over to the GSA page and sign up to get Part 1 of the Bootcamp for FREE.

Why I'm Putting Pressure On You

Find out how pressure is going to help you focus, make you more productive, increase the quality of your work or training, and help you reach your goals.


Are you up for the challenge???

Goal Setting Acceleration Bootcamp: For players and coaches want to catapult their game to a higher level

Mr. Lovelace and the One-Legged Toothbrushing Club

Find out who Mr. Lovelace is, how I met him, why you'll want to hear from him and why you see the words "One-Legged" Toothbrushing in the title of this post.

By the way: The dose of "Hawaii" in the video...love it or hate it?


It's said that Barry's exercises help increase speed and power for athletes quite quickly. I'm trying it out, so I'll let you know how that goes.

OR, don't wait for me, check out Barry's Core Power Program for yourself HERE.

TEAM: What is it that you don't understand?

So I recently came across yet another "real life" situation involved ADULTS who just don't get what it means to be part of a team. This is why I'm so into having young ladies learn this lesson on the softball field. Later in life there will be times when it's necessary to work together WITH other people to accomplish a common goal. Without the unity EVERYONE stands to lose out in the end (just like on a softball team).

The only difference is, in real life, instead of a win or loss being at stake, you may be talking about your livelihood. It may be the difference between having a job or not having a job, being able to put food on the table or not being able to put food on the table, being able to take care of your family or not being able to take care of your family, etc, etc, etc. I think you see the point.

In "real life" the stakes are much higher and yet, some adults just do NOT understand what it means to be part of a team effort. I can't, for the life of me, understand why some insist upon making it about THEM. It's not about you! Why can't these people understand that if they do NOT put their own personal issues aside and work WITH the people on their team (whether they like it or not, whether they like these people or not), they may lose things in their life that are VERY important to them.

Isn't it ridiculous for a team member to want to drum up sympathy for themselves because of something another team member did months ago? Especially when you have a potentially devastating challenge in front of you that you need everyone's united efforts to overcome?

Why tell Cindy and Mary and Jane all about your sad story when the issue you have is with Jill? Only Jill can makes things right, the others can't fix things for you. Going around to your other teammates to tell them about what Jill did to you way back when isn't going to help your team accomplish their goals!

I'm not saying you don't have a legitimate gripe with Jill. Maybe you do, but that's something that needs to be straightened out with Jill, not with Cindy, Mary, and Jane. In fact, by spreading the word about this personal issue you have with Jill, you will probably take your teammates focus off of what they need to be focused on and that,obviously, will only hurt the team's efforts.

Seriously. Can you imagine what a team would be like if everyone decided to sit there and grumble about every other member of the team who ever did something they didn't approve of or who had ever wronged them in any way in the past? Talk about D-R-A-M-A! Yikes! That team wouldn't stand a chance. If you don't think it's a good idea for everyone to be sitting around doing this, you can bet that means it's not right for even ONE person to be doing it (not even you).

I understand that there will be times when you feel very wronged. I understand there will be times when you just don't have respect for a teammate because of the way they conduct themselves or because of the choices they make or for any other legitimate reason. But these types of situations don't only happen on the field, they happen in life too. The bottom line is, these people are on your team. When you are seen by those outside your team, you are judged as a WHOLE. No one on the outside knows who said what about who or who disrespected who in the past and they don't care. All they see is one team that is either a strong unit or a weak, divided one. Are you helping your team be a strong unit? Or are you part of why your team is weak and divided?

Look, if you have a problem with Jill, talk to Jill. Your team gains nothing when you try to bring a team member down in the eyes of the other team members. That's all talking badly about Jill with your other team members is going to accomplish. All you do is weaken that person as a member of the team, and you know what they say, "You're only as strong as your weakest link." So why try to weaken members of your team? Not a smart move to say the least. I just don't get people who insist upon trying to get attention and sympathy for themselves by bringing down other team members. It's not the best way to play this game. It's not the best way to live life. I'm not saying you have to accept or condone all the actions of your teammates, but there are times when it's necessary, for everyone's sake, to put those things aside for the time being (not saying you have to forget about it forever), so that you can work together, be the strongest team possible, and accomplish the goals everyone on the team wants.

If you want to have a great season, if you want to do what's best for you and your team...

Think before you act. Think before you speak. Everything you say or do either helps your team or hurts it. There's no in between. Know what you want for your team, for your season and always think about whether or not you're moving toward that or away from it with your actions and your words. Make sure what you say and what you do moves your team closer to it's goals.

New Fastpitch Talk Radio Episode Ready

Just wanted to drop you a really quick note today to let you know that a new episode of Fastpitch Talk Radio is up and ready for you to listen to. In this episode I talk about how one player went from being "just a pinch runner" to being Freshman Player of the Year.

Also, I introduce next week's topic: "Play up or stay down?"

If you have comments you'd like to add to either the new episode or next week's topic, please feel free to call in to our guest line and share your thoughts. Then number is (214) 615-6505 ext 1040.

If you don't want to call in, you can also leave comments right at the site below each episode. We'd love to hear from you, so don't be shy! Check out this week's episode then share your thoughts over at www.FastpitchTalkRadio.com. See you there!

How to Get Softball Fit Fast

As you know the season is right around the corner (unless your season runs in the fall, but this is still good information for you). Many coaches and parents are writing in asking me what they can do to shape up in just a few weeks time. What can you do over the course of just a few weeks to get into better softball shape for the season?

Well, I'm going address that exact issue on a free call next week Wednesday, January 21st.

We're also going to discuss:

• Is it useful/practical/harmful to continue this type of training during the season?
• Is it worth it to do softball conditioning with 10-12U players?
• Is it safe for kids to lift weights?
• If a player/team does not have access to a weight room, does this mean they can't do strength work?
• If I don't really have a pre-season "conditioning" period, how can I integrate conditioning right into my practices?
• And of course, what can I do to get into the best softball shape possible if all I have is a few weeks?

The only thing is, I can only reserve 96 spots for this call. So if you'd like to be there, go ahead and register HERE.

It's possible that we'll run out of lines for the live call, so I am only giving out the call information (the number to call and the access code to join us live) to those who register now. Registration guarantees that I will also be able to send you information on how to listen to the recording just in case a) you weren't available during the live call or b) you weren't able to get in because the lines were full.

So if you need information on how to get your team (or yourself) into the best softball shape possible in just a few weeks, go register for this free call now and I'll see you there!

Goal Achieving Attitude

I'm sure you'd agree that your own attitude and mind set play a part in whether or not you actually achieve the goals you lay out for yourself. Obviously a person who has the attitude and mindset of a "winner" is more likely to achieve their goals than someone who doesn't.

So what kinds of qualities are part of a winning attitude?

• Determination
• Enthusiasm
• Motivated
• Confidence
• Optimism
• Patience

The more you live with a winning attitude, the more likely you are to achieve your goals.

However, it's possible that there are days when you don't feel as confident or optimistic or even enthusiastic about what you're doing. I don't know about you, but I don't wake up every day feeling motivated. With that in mind, here are 3 Mini-Motivators than can help boost your mood:

• Get your blood flowing: go for a walk or run to clear your head and energize your body
• Try using a reward: promise yourself a certain reward or treat when you reach a certain goal
• Read something inspirational: just google inspirational quotes or motivational quotes or success quotes and you'll have lots of inspirational reading material

Try using these Mini-Motivators to boost your mood and get back on track with that "winning attitude" you need to achieve your goals.

For more help with setting goals you'll stick with, a tip for "instant motivation," and a method for shifting your mindset effectively, quickly, and painless from negative to positive, sign up for the upcoming Goal Setting Acceleration Bootcamp Priority List. Spaces for this session are limited so fill out the form if you want a jump start on the rest of the coaches and players who'll be looking to take part in the program.

Don't Be Part of the Masses

I got an interesting e-mail from Tom Hanson as a member of his gym and once I read it I just had to share some thoughts with you. You see part of the message was from a guy named Matt who was criticized for talking about going to the World Series and traveling while "everyone else" was going through this tough economic time. Matt was basically told that he shouldn't be talking about things like that while others are struggling.

I'm sure we can all see the guy's point. However, the guy who was criticized went into this whole long thing (which was all very good by the way) which pointed out that if he was to listen to this guy all he'd be doing is paying homage to the adage "Misery loves company."

My favorite part of what he said follows:

"If there is a mission for you in this lifetime - it cannot take place unless, first and foremost, you are true to yourself. If you are addicted to other peoples' approval MORE than fulfilling your goals - then you are NOT true to yourself and you cannot ever be truly happy."

This reminded me of when I was a little kid playing softball. I never wanted to stand out. I never wanted to be different. It was an uncomfortable place for me. When our coaches ran us through drills there were times when I'd have dog it because I didn't want to do the drill that much better than everyone else. Why? Because if I did, there'd be comments like, "Ho, superstar. What you think you're an all-star or something?' What were my teammates saying? Basically they were saying what the critic above was saying,"You shouldn't be showing off like that, you make the rest of us look and feel bad."

This use to happen in school too. When teachers asked a question, even if I knew the answer, I'd let someone else answer it or just left it unanswered. I didn't want to be the "know it all" nerdy one who answered all the questions in class so I kept my mouth shut.

Somewhere along the line I grew out of being uncomfortable being different and just started being myself and was very happy being me. It didn't matter much to me what other people thought. I played because I loved it and went all out because that's what made me happy. Plus that's what helped the team most, which, in turn, made my teammates happy too.

Anyway, back to the e-mail. There was one more thing that Matt said that I really, really liked because it summed up perfectly the way I felt when I was in high school and people would ask me if I wanted to drink or smoke or anything else I really shouldn't be doing. Here's was it said...

"Be ONE of US and all will be okay, the masses say. "

He immediately followed that up with. "No it won't."

I always felt like that's what they were really saying, "Be one of us and all will be okay." Okay, not for me, but for them.

And I was the one saying, "No it won't."

I always felt like they wanted me to join them so that they could feel better about themselves and what they were doing. It wasn't that I needed to join them so that I could get their approval. It always felt like they were asking for my approval not the other way around.

I never did accept any of those invitations to drink or smoke or do anything else illegal for that matter. I was a softball player, that was me. That's what I loved and that's what I wanted to do. None of that other stuff was going to help me be a great softball players so I never saw the point and I didn't need it to be accepted. My peers and teammates liked me the way I was, probably because I liked myself just fine.

One last thought that goes along with "Don't be part of the masses." If you're involved in softball and you want to be GREAT and get noticed for it being like everyone else is NOT going to take you there.

The guy that said the cool stuff I quoted above is Matt Furey and his article was brought to me by Hansons Gym.

Hawaii Softball Clinics This Month

If you're a fastpitch softball player in Hawaii between the ages of 10 and 14, I have some news for you!

I just received word that Kapolei High School will be putting on Clinics during the month of January (yes, that's THIS month!). If you're interested in working on your pitching or defensive skills, these clinics are for you.

Here is the information...

Where: Kapolei High School Softball Field

When: January 11, 18, and 25 (all Sundays)

Clinic Schedule

Pitching Fundamentals: 9am-10am, 10:15am - 11:15am, 11:30am-12:00pm

Defensive Skills: 12:45pm-1:45pm, 2:00pm-3:00pm, 3:15pm-4:15pm

Each session will be limited to only 8 players so that each player gets enough attention and feedback.

Ages: 10-14 are welcome

Cost: $30 per session

If you have any questions or would like to secure a spot in a clinic session, please contact me and I will give you the number to call for scheduling and questions.

Now I'm probably not going to be there all day on the 25th because I have another softball related commitment in the morning, but I do plan on being there on the other dates and probably after my other event in done on the 25th. Hope to see you there!

Please feel free to forward this information to anyone you feel may be interested.

Thanks!

Is there really more to it than that?

So after I posted my short little video sharing 3 Simple Yet Effective Goal Setting Tips, I got a comment that indicated there was more to goal setting than what I mentioned.

Hmmmm, do I agree with that? Yes and No. You see, the video assumes that you already have an idea of what you want and you already have some goals in mind. Can you mess up setting a goal? Kinda. There are some general rules that you should follow so that the goals you set are much more effective than they would be if you didn't follow them.

HOWEVER, if we're talking not going anything at all about the goal in your head vs. taking that idea of what you want, setting a challenging goal, writing it down, then taking action on it (the 3 tips I shared in the video) - gosh, just those 3 things ALONE are going to significantly increase your chance at greater success.

Can simplifying it that much really make a difference? I believe so. Is it the MOST effective, most powerful way to do it? No, it's not. But it far outweighs, not setting a challenging goal, not writing it down, and not taking action on what you want.

When I first did an actual goal setting exercise, I was a HUGE skeptic - didn't believe for one second that it was really going to help or change anything. Needless to say I didn't really go into it with a serious, go get 'em attitude, but it worked anyway. I did it because it was an assignment from my coach - not because I really wanted to do it, more because I had to do it...and it still worked. Yes, I did go through a little bit of a though process about things I wanted to accomplish or get better with on the field (I'm talking just an hour or two of my time here), but it wasn't some complicated system where I had to think through every detail of the next 5 years or anything like that. I made no conscious effort to go after the goals I had written, I made no effort to look at or read these goals every day when I woke up or each night before I went to bed, I gave ZERO thought to whether or not my "short term" goals were related in any way shape or form to my longer term goals...and it still worked. In fact, it worked better than I ever thought possible. I accomplished things and improved skills in areas I never truly expected to levels I never thought were even possible and all much quicker than I imagined. I only thought about what I wanted to write down on my goal sheet for ONE afternoon. I wrote them down ONCE, I looked at them "on occasion." I was not obsessive about them, I didn't make any major efforts to make sure I was motivated, shucks I never really even tracked my progress on them. One day, about a year later, I looked back at what I had written and saw the goals I set had all been realized, even the ones I thought were a bit out of reach, ones I really wrote down more as wishes than things I really thought I could accomplish. I was doing things I had never done before on the softball field. I was hitting in a slot in the batting line-up no coach had ever put me in. After all, I'm only about 5'2" 120lbs and all my life I was told I was not a power hitter, yet there I was hitting in a power slot. Every coach in Hawaii new I was a pull hitter and was no threat to the right side, yet there I was smashing triples to the fence in opposite field with runners on base when they tried to attack my "weakness."

So does goal setting have to be super-complicated to help you achieve more? No, I don't think so. If you're talking about doing no goal setting vs doing a very simplified form of goal setting - I think doing any type of goal setting activity is better than none.

Is that going to be the most effective? No.

If I did some things different with that very first goal setting exercise I did could I have achieved even more? I think I could have, which is almost scary!

Do people who set goals ever "fail" to achieve them? Yes, sometimes this does happen for various reasons

Do people have trouble with motivation to stay on track with their goals? Yes

Are there things you can do to give yourself better odds and staying motivated, staying on track, and actually achieving what you want? Yes!

And that's all the stuff I'm going to cover in my upcoming 2 week goal setting bootcamp.

I'm really looking forward to working with a limited number of coaches and players on creating a path to great success this year and beyond. Whether you're the type of person who's never set goals before and want to get some guidance for making this a great year or the type of person who's set goals before but really want to get serious this time and set some powerful, effective goals for the future, this bootcamp is going to guide you through all of that.

If you're interested in having me help you through the process on setting your goals, fill in your name and e-mail address below and I'll keep you posted on when the bootcamp is ready.

Slide Boards for Front Foot Hitting Problem

One question I get asked a lot is about younger players and their front side when hitting. Many of them either bail or they do not have a strong front side. Often times their weight ends up over their front foot which is not where it should be.

So how do you help correct this issue?

Well, I just came across a tip from Dan Huff of Baseball Strength that addresses this issue. He actually suggested utilizing slide boards to help with hitting balance issues. Read what Dan had to say in this article.

image source: flickr http://flickr.com/photos/borderhopper/2394270647/

Too Much Sidearm!

Why a sidearm throw should NOT be your routine, every play throw.

Hitting: Getting Past the Intimidation Factor

I'm sure you've seen it before: batters who are completely intimidated by the pitcher they are facing. This audio talks about what happens when batters can't get past that intimidation factor and a tool that can't help you help your hitters.

Weird and Stupid, but Effective

Today I want to share something with you that's both weird and stupid, but highly effective. Sounds crazy right? Actually, it is a bit crazy, but if you need help with mental game issues, with pain, or with other performance problems you just can't seem to get past, listen to this weird and stupid tool that I've come to believe in.

Forget Machines! Go with the "Good Stuff"

Stacie's Note: After my own eperience with weight training, I soooo prefer free weights to machines, so I thought thisd article was cool.

The Machine Myth... Get Kids OFF Those Machines!

Brian Grasso is the CEO of the International Youth Conditioning Association and is considered one of the premier authorities on youth athletic development in the world. Access Brian's free database of articles and exercises at Developing Athletics.

Whenever I come into contact with a coach or trainer who preaches the virtues of machine-based strength training for young athletes, the same argument is typically offered – machines are safer for kids because they eliminate the dangerous aspects of traditional free weight training. This is simply a dogmatic mindset and not founded on any scientific or functional principles. It is a classic case of blaming the exercise or activity rather than the execution. In fact, having young athletes train on machines for strength development can actually lead to injuries and a whole host of other concerning factors.

All sports are dynamic and require a great deal of systemic strength and stability to perform. More over, the strength/stability interplay needed to perform virtually any sporting activity is based on the body (or its parts) working as a unit, the way nature intended. By isolating certain muscle groups via machine-based training, you are eliminating the body’s natural capacity to provide both mobility and stability in an interrelated manner. This can essentially limit a young athlete’s ability to effectively produce force on the field of play while at the same time providing stability in other crucial areas of the body. By disturbing this innate mobility/stability balance, you are decreasing the ability of the body to protect itself during the dynamic and unscripted movements experienced during a sporting event. Coaches and trainers who incorporate machine-based training into the routines of young athletes in order to promote weight room safety are, in essence, increasing the risk of injury on the field of play. One of the primary goals of a sound strength and conditioning program is to prevent injuries during a sporting event or season – Coaches and trainers who insist on using machines for training purposes are then suggesting that trading sport safety for weight room safety is somehow a good deal.

Here is a look at some of the finer points of machine training –

• Seated vertical pressing machines place a great deal of stress on the lumbar spine - More so than standing vertical pressing exercises. In fact, many young athletes, in an attempt to press as much weight as possible, will actively hyperextend the lower lumbar in order to gain extra leverage.

• Seated leg press machines do not afford backrests that equal the natural curvatures of the spine. Additionally, many young athletes tend to overload seated leg presses with extreme amounts of weight (likely because they perceive the exercise to be ‘safe’). At increased loads during the eccentric or lowering phase of the movement, the lower lumbar will go through a forced flexion. This is a terribly unstable position for one’s lower back to be in and could result in anything from minor to severe injury.

• Hack squat machines can place a great deal of anterior shearing forces on the knee joint. Also, they tend to work primarily the quadriceps muscles and are less effective at training the critical hip extensor muscles of the posterior chain.

• Hip abduction and adduction machines allow minor to excessive spinal rotation during the movement. Here is a perfect example of the mobility/stability interplay factor that I suggested above – as you try to isolate a hip abduction exercise, for example, you will naturally ‘shift’ away from the leg in motion and experience a slight to severe degree of spinal rotation. Due to the body’s natural habits of motion, it is impossible to isolate a movement or muscle without experiencing stabilization dynamics in other parts of the body.

• Smith machines allow for vertical motion only, which is contraindicated in exercises such as the squat (an exercise that many young athletes perform on the Smith machine; again likely due to perceived ‘safety’). In good squatting form, there should be a natural forward lean while the hips are pushing back (do not misinterpret that for me suggesting that young athletes should bend or lean forward during the eccentric or lowering phase of this exercise). This allows one to maintain a sound neutral lumbar spine position and actively generate force from the powerful hip extensor muscles. With Smith machines, this natural and safe motion is eliminated completely and lumbar flexion is promoted.

• In many cases, coaches and trainers use machines in a circuit type fashion and route several young athletes at a time through a machine-to-machine type routine. Whenever young athletes are working on timed events (i.e. the coach allows for 20 – 40 seconds at each station) you can likely be assured that the athlete is attempting to get as many ‘high intensity’ reps out of his/her set as possible; often at the complete disregard of their execution. With machine or free weight strength training, perfect execution is a must – in a sense that makes machines and free weights equal in this argument. Having said that, the very unnatural nature of machines make them even more of a concern from a biomechanical safety perspective with respect to ‘timed’ training sessions or sets.

Functionality in both sport and life is based on healthy movement, certainly not isolation. In that, Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) plays a vital role. Often noted as a type of stretching exercise, PNF is actually a diverse and intensive concept that involves movement-based stimulus following spiral or diagonal motions (to reflect that oblique nature of most muscle orientations), with the primary goal of developing motor learning through precise movements. Having said that, machine-based strength training, with its isolated format, is simply not functionally similar to innate patterns of motion that a young athlete would use on the field of play and is quite disruptive to basic physiological factors of movement such as normal timing (which refers to the naturally occurring timing of the phases of movement during a given motion).

Even with cardiovascular training, it is less than optimally productive to have young athletes use either the stationary bikes or treadmills found in most health clubs. Possessing optimal speed, agility or any other reactive locomotor ability is based largely on hip and trunk flexibility and strength. Both cycling and treadmill running serve to limit hip range of motion and can cause decreases in the dynamic flexibility within the hip complex. Young athletes are better served to incorporate rigorous sprinting or movement-base interval training (such as Fartlek) into their training routines.

Learn more about Brian's complete system of developing young athletes - www.CompleteAthleteDevelopment.com

Sports Specialization and Injuries

Many parents and coaches fall into the trap of believing that kids have to concentrate on only one sport to keep up with the best. I do suppose there are a few situations where that may be true and they are mentioned in an article I read about youth athletes.

However, playing more than one sport has it's benefits, even for those striving for that college scholarship. College coaches love "athletes" and being able to play more than one sport shows that you have the coordination, speed, and agility to do more than just play first base. Playing mulitple sports may also help prevent overuse injuries as well. Overuse injuries has risen substantially in the past 15 years.

Do not make the mistake of pushing your players/child(ren) too hard too often. Playing too hard too often can cause some serious damage and, in some cases, end softball careers far before college is even a reality. Click here to read the article that will tell you just how much overuse injuries have risen in the past 15 years.

Your Dynamic Warm-Up Guide is Ready

The Dynamic Warm-Up resource I told you about in this other post took a little longer to go live than originally thought.  However, I did receive word that it IS ready now!  

You've probably heard about Dynamic Warm-Up or Dynamic Stretching before.  It's the type of warm up that's known to be MORE effective at preventing injuries than the good ol' static stretch.  Also, it's been known to increase speed, power, and agility for game time.  Static stretching, on the other hand, has shown to REDUCE speed and power.

If you're looking to make the switch to Dynamic Warm-Up, but aren't sure how, Marc Dagenais' new Dynamic Warm-Up for Softball will give you all the information you need to help you deliver awesome softball performances AND keep you injury free.  

Marc also addresses the very important shoulder and arm area that many other resources tend to leave out.  If you google Dynamic Warm-Up you'll probably be able to find many examples of exercises to do.  However, most will NOT cover the shoulder/arm area that is so key in softball.  This is because most of the freebie resources our there are geared toward, or done by, people involved in "lower body" sports like basketball, soccer, or football where throwing isn't a big a major part of the sport.  Preventing shoulder and arm injuries, however, is super important in fastpitch softball and Dynamic Warm-Up for Softball will show you the exact warm-up exercises to do to properly warm up the shoulder/arm area and get it ready for top performance.  

If you've ever wanted specific instructions and demonstrations on exactly what warm-up exercises to do (and what order to do them in) for best softball performance, help is here.  You'll also find out how to properly use static stretching in your training since it does have it's place.  Learn how to enhance performance with effective warm-up, reduce injuries, and use the techniques that the best players in the world are using to prepare for game time.  All the information you need is available to you, click here to get it.

More Hustle and Guts Needed

Just sharing a few thoughts I had after this summers tournaments were over. 

Those on the AAF mailing list probably already read this, but if not, here it is again.

ALWAYS hustle down the line after you hit the ball, NO MATTER WHAT.

However you hit the ball, strong or weak, fair or foul ALWAYS,
ALWAYS, ALWAYS hustle down the line.

Hustle is your second weapon in an at bat. First, you hit the ball,
then you RUN like heck!

The defense needs to first defend your hit THEN beat out your
hustle. Your first strike is the hit you put on the ball, you
"attack" again by running your FASTEST to put as much pressure as
you possibly can on the defense AND to make them PAY if they make a
mistake.

I saw too many girls, including my own daughter, slow down before
first base. Granted some of them were already out by the time they
were within a few steps of the base, but I believe all players
should run all hits out at their best speed no matter what. If
they're able to slow down and stop before the base on a ground out
to the left side, they probably weren't running their hardest.
Some are slowing down before the bag and are only out by a step or
two, that's just not the way to play. Imagine if these players had
been hustling down the line, they could have rushed a throw, they
could have shaken up the 1b to possibly mishandle the ball because
they were right there - you never know, RUN LIKE HECK after you hit
the ball.

Then there was another situation when a girl popped up soooooo
high, she should have been standing on 2nd when the ball popped out
of the SS glove. Instead, she's dogging it and almost gets caught
in a pickle between 1st and 2nd because she wasn't going hard. She
was just trotted around 1st and then, bam, the ball pops out of the
SS glove and now she's in no man's land between bases not even at
top speed. Seriously, she would have made 2nd easy if she had run
as hard as possible from the get go. She hurt her team by giving
less than her best. I didn't stay at that field to see what
happened after that, but it's quite possible that her team had to
give up an out to move her to 2nd, a base she could have had "free"
if only she gave her best effort after her mis-hit rather than
pouted and felt sorry for herself. Team players, and players
giving their best effort, never give up on a hit. If you're giving
up on hits, if you have players that are, it's time do to a self
check and step up your game because you're selling yourself short.

I recently received an e-mail from Tom Hanson and he talked about this very issue.
Here's something he reported from an MLB game...

"I loved that he pulled Upton (after he'd run out to his OF
position...ouch) for not hustling on a play.

Even with Longoria and Crawford out he pulls arguably his most
talented remaining player for not running out a ball."

Apparently, even pros need do to self checks every once in a while,
so don't beat yourself up over it if that's you. Just make the
adjustment and get better.

AND....more coaches need to have the guts to reward those who do
play all out and sit those who don't. You're not doing a player
any favors by rewarding them with playing time (or anything else)
when they play and practice selfishly (showing up to practice when
and if they feel like it, walking on the field, doing drills half
way, etc, etc, etc). You're only asking for trouble because the
ones who only go all out when they feel like it will continue on
that path, and those who do go hard all the time (and never get
rewarded for it) will start playing like the others - only going
"all out" sometimes. Next thing you know, your whole team is
playing selfish, "go hard only when I feel like it" softball.
You'll have far bigger problems than you started off with and
you'll wish your only issue was having to play a game or two with
your "stud" on the bench and "less talented/big hearted" on the
field.

If coaches can do it (sit "studs") in the major leagues where jobs
depend on success and wins and losses, then you can do it too.
Telling your players that they should give their best all the time
and backing that message up with your actions are two different
things. But if you can create an environment where your players
know that nothing less than their best is acceptable and nothing
less than their best will be tolerated, your season will be filled
with much less headache. However, that will never happen if you
continue to reward the "slackers" and the "it's all about me"
attitudes. The rules have to be the same across the board -
consistency is key. You can't have one reward/punishment for some
players and another for other players. Be fair, be consistent,
back up your words with actions, and you'll have much more success.

Here's to having the guts to "honor the game."

Are You in the 21st Stretching Century?

I recently received an e-mail from Marc Dagenais as part the softball performance tips he gives out in his free newsletter.  This one was about dynamic stretching.

Now I have to admit, the first time I heard about this, I thought it was just some quack "trend" that would be forgotten about after a few months.  After all, I'd been doing static stretching all my life too.  But the more I learn about it, the more it makes sense and the more convinced I am that it's the best thing for fastpitch softball.  

Of course, not everyone is so open-minded.  Here's an ecerpt from Marc's e-mail that illustrates eactly that point and also gives you doubters something to think about.

"There's a coach that I've known quite a few years who reads my emails that came up to me to tell me that all the hype around all that "dynamic stuff" is just B.S. and he doesn't believe in that $&*@.

Now, I know this coach, it's not surprising coming from him. He's very opinionated, close-minded, believes he's always right and when he's not happy with how things are going, he yells and gets mad.

Just as a curiosity, I asked him: "Why do you believe that dynamic warm-ups is just a bunch of B.S.?"

He answered that he's been using static stretching for 25 years for himself and with all the teams he's coached and he never had any problems.

I replied: "So, if my 83-year old grandma has been a smoker all her life and is still healthy today, I must assume that smoking is good for me right?" (interesting perspective huh?)

You should have seen the look on his face. I think he got my point and didn't really know what to reply to this twisted logic. He mumbled something and left.

My point is this: we are creature of habits and habits are hard to change.

We are comfortable with routines and we hate change.

Trying to come up with a new way to warm-up is not always easy.

Athletes will say: "I don't feel like I've stretched".

The purpose of a warm-up is not to feel like you've stretched (which you get with static stretching), it's to make the muscle ready to perform and prevent injuries.

They muscles must be warmed, have adequate range of motion, and be ready to fire. Dynamic warm-ups accomplish that.

Some coaches will say: "I've used your stuff and I have an athlete that blew her knee out. Your stuff doesn't work."

First, it's not my stuff. It's just what almost every elite strength and conditioning coach and athletes now used to prepare themselves and while it helps decrease injuries, there will always be injuries in sports!

Bottom line, just because you've been doing something fora long time without problem doesn't mean there isn't a better way of doing it.

Watch out for Thursday, I'll release my brand new Dynamic Warm-Up for Softball System.

You don't want to miss that."

Hey Thursday is tomorrow!  One thing that's tough about making the switch to Dynamic Warm-Ups is knowing what to incorporate.  

• What exercises should your players be doing instead of the good old static stretch?  
  
• What order should these exercises be done in for optimal effectiveness?
  

Well, when I was learning, basically what I did was watch other teams that used dynamic warm-ups (DI schools and the USA National Team).  I took ideas from that and put it together to use for the teams I work with.  

If you don't have that luxury, however, OR if  you want a more complete set of instructions on exactly how to incorporate dynamic warm-up into your softball training, Marc's Dynamic Warm Up for Softball System will give you all of that PLUS he'll tell you how to properly use static stretching because it does have it's place too.  Be on the lookout for this brand new Dynamic Warm-Up for Softball resource tomorrow - Thursday!

Time to Try Something New

Now that the fast pace of the season has passed, I have a little more time in my schedule!  You may too.  The great thing about this is that I now have time to learn new things and think about implementing them for the next season.  Sometimes its tough to change your ways and start something new "mid-stream" so now that things have calmed down a bit, it's a good time to learn and plan changes.

One thing I really struggled with this year was nutrition.  We were sooooo super busy that I simply did not have the time to prepare meals each day.  Often times we found ourselves eating out, eating fast food, or eating packaged food.  Because of the time challenge and the fact that I know my family wasn't eating as healthy as we could be I began looking into juicing.  I believe that juicing is a great way to pack much need nutrients into our busy softball days.  

Of course, I'd heard of juicing before, but never really gave it much thought until I actually got to try it.  That's when I got serious about learning more because I actually LIKED the first fresh juice I ever made and tried.  So if you're looking for a simple, great tasting way to get some healthy nutrients into your day, I've put together a site to help you with that.  Check out www.fastpitchjuicing.com - I'm also working on a more comprehensive juicing guide for fastpitch juicing newbies like you and me.  Sign up for my free What Juice Can Do For You report and you'll receive a notice when the juicing guide is ready.

Like I said, it's not always easy to try something new and implement it when your slammed with practices and tournaments and everything else.  But now would be a good time to give something new a try and see if it's something you'll want to work into your daily routine next year.

Oh, and one more thing.  During the season I wrote down a bunch of nutrition questions that I had as it relates to fastpitch softball.  Then I got them answered by an expert in the field...and YES, those questions and answers plus some other tips on nutrition and how it relates to your softball performance will all be available to you.  More on that when everything gets put together for you.  For now, go check out Fastpitch Juicing.

Labor Day Special Ends Today

A few days ago in another post, I mentioned my Labor Day special offer for the Coach of Action Academy.  In celebration of this holiday weekend, I offered you a special 50% off price for the Coach of Action program.  

Obviously, this offer won't last.  In fact, when this day is over, so is the special offer. 

Remember, the Coach of Action Academy is designed to help you:

• Be active in increasing your coaching knowledge
  
• Overcome the uncertainty that comes with change
  
• Utilize simple tips and strategies for APPLYING the new knowledge you gain
  
• Develop or improve your vision for your program and for yourself as a coach
  
• Set effective goals
  
• Identify your BIGGEST coaching goals 
  
• Develop a solid plan of ACTION for achieving your big goals through a simple yet powerful 5-step goal setting process
  

Oh yeah, and one more thing I didn't mention on Friday, Join Now and you'll also get FREE access to my Private Coaching Program ($29/month value).  

That's right, for a VERY LIMITED TIME only, I'm offering current Coach of Action members FREE Access to my Private Coaching Program which gives you one-on-one personal guidance through the course.  

Let me tell you, this is the last time you'll see an offer like this for Coach of Action.  Don't wait,  Join Today before the offer ends.  

Winning is Over-Rated

You've probably heard the saying, "Winning isn't everything. It's the ONLY thing." Honestly, I've never cared much for it. It may sound good as a "slogan" and it may be motivating to some and look cool on t-shirts and stuff. But the truth is, it's totally and completely FALSE.  You may or may not agree with me, but in my world, that saying just never really connected with me for a number of reasons. I was reminded of why I feel this way over the course of this softball year.

IF winning truly was everything OR the "only" thing then, technically, there would be no gripes and no grumbles when a championship was won.  Everyone that had anything to do with the championship team (parent, fan, player, coach) would be utterly and completely happy and overjoyed if winning really was the ONLY thing. No one on a championship team would ever have any sort of ill feeling or complaint about anything related to the team or the season or the coaching or the players or the organization as a whole if winning was the ONLY thing. But that's simply not the case.

Even when a team wins a championship there are times when players or parents are not completely happy and satisfied with how the season/tournament went. Why?  No, it's not because they're cry babies (although some may be).  It's usually because they are HUMAN and because THERE IS MORE TO THIS GAME, TO THIS EXPERIENCE, THAN WINNING!

Don't get me wrong. Winning is great! Championships are awesome!  Any time I step on the field I'm out there to out-do my opponent and come out on top. But these things are not the end all/be all of participating in this sport. 

I'm sure you'll run into coaches or parents or players who've had "successful" seasons tainted by something that happened during the season (the way a situation was handled, the way the players were treated, the way the coaches acted, the lack or organization of the season, etc, etc, etc).  You will probably also meet people from time to time who will tell you that they've experienced a higher level of enjoyment and fulfillment in seasons where their record wasn't necessarily the best. If winning where "everything" OR the "only thing" that wouldn't be possible, it would never be true. But it is. Maybe not always, but it certainly is true and does happen on occasion.......because in this game, in any sport, in life....winning is NOT everything NOR is it the only thing.

When all is said and done, I wouldn't want people to remember me only for the championships I've been a part of, but hopefully also for positive qualities like integrity, honesty, determination, inspiration, etc.  In fact, if they could know me for either championships OR those positive qualities - I would want them to remember me for having those positive qualities. If I had to choose between being known as a coach with those positive qualities and no championships OR a coach with championships and but little integrity, little honesty, and little inspiration - I don't think I have to tell you which scenario I'd choose. What a shame it would be to be known for a championship or two and nothing else.

Winning isn't everything nor is it the only thing.  However, many have reminded me that while winning isn't everything, expecting to win and striving for perfection is.

What do you think?  Leave me a comment below and share your thoughts.

*NOTE: Yes, you may reprint this article.  Simply credit the author (Stacie Mahoe) and provide an active link (if posted online) either back to this post or to www.AllAboutFastpitch.com.

Are You Still Doing the Same Old Thing?

How many times have you seen great new drills or head cool new tips from other coaches?  It probably happens a number of time throughout each season.  As coaches, we always try to stay up to date with the latest training techniques and drills.  But how many of us actually use the new information we acquire?  How many times have you seen those cool new ideas, then 6 months down the road, nothing has changed.  Your practices are the same, your game strategies are the same, and you're still dealing with the same problems you had 6 months ago.  This is one of the biggest and the most common coaching mistake made!  

Hey, change can be scary, but if you never change you will NEVER improve!

In order to improve, change is necessary, and change requires ACTION.

It's wonderful to be a life long learner, but what's even better is actually APPLYING all that new knowledge you put into your brain!

Coach of Action is designed to help you

• Be active in increasing your coaching knowledge
  
• Overcome the uncertainty that comes with change
  
• Utilize simple tips and strategies for APPLYING the new knowledge you gain
  
• Develop or improve your vision for your program and for yourself as a coach
  
• Set effective goals
  
• Identify your BIGGEST coaching goals 
  
• Develop a solid plan of ACTION for achieving your big goals through a simple yet powerful 5-step goal setting process

But we're not going to just throw all this great information at you and leave you to sort through it and digest on your own.  We've broken it all down into manageable, bite-size pieces so that you can completely understand the concepts (and begin applying them) before another lesson is sent to you to digest.  

You'll practically be spoon fed all of the material so that you won't be overwhelmed with too many new ideas, strategies, and tips at once.  Remember, the whole idea is that you TAKE ACTION and sometimes with too much information you just don't know where to start, so you end up doing nothing at all.  Coach of Action is designed to give you only what you can handle AND we also give you specific instructions on how to actually USE the information covered in each lesson. 

If this is the kind of step-by-step, long-term help your looking for as a coach, then check out CoachofAction.com for more information.

Go, now and I have a little something special waiting for you ~ through LABOR DAY ONLY, get 50% off the regular price.  

Yup, you can have full access to the entire program at half the cost.  But when the Labor Day holiday is over, this offer will be gone!  Get it HERE.

How to Stand Out at Tryouts

I have to admit, tryouts don't happen here in Hawaii like they do on the mainland US at this time of year.  Most girls only have to tryout for school teams.  I've only had to tryout for a team twice in my entire lifetime.  Once for our intermediate school team and once for my varsity high school team.  That's about it.  There aren't a lot of travel/ASA teams that hold "tryouts."  The tryouts we hold for school teams don't seem to be as big a deal or as intimidating as travel ball tryouts happening around this time in the mainland US.  Plus for school ball we get to hang on to girls for over a month and see them play in a number of preseason game situations before we ever have to make a decision.  So players have much more opportunity to show what they're made of and coaches have a lot more time to evaluate than in the typical "travel ball" situation.  

Because of this, I don't usually have a lot of input to contribute when coaches or players ask for tips for tryouts.  Lucky for you, I'm not the ONLY softball "go-to" on the internet.

Marc over at Softball Performance has just put together an awesome new resource for players who want to make a HUGE impression at tryouts.  

If it's that time of year for you and you want to have a game plan for standing out in the crowd at your tryouts, Marc tells you how to:

• Be super confident and perform when it counts
  
• Crush the ball when you have a chance to show off your hitting
  
• What coaches are looking for when they evaluate players
  
• Exactly what to eat so your body can perform at it's best
  
• Deliver your best tryout performance ever
  
• and a whole bunch more

Imagine how you'll feel when the coach selects YOU to be on the team!  Get prepared because you know what they say, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."

Make sure you're READY for your tryouts.  Be the head-turning player coaches can't help but remember.  The blue print for your tryout success all laid out for you - get it HERE.

More Fastpitch Videos at Fastpitch World

I've put up some of the Sportskool videos up at www.MyFastpitchWorld.com. However, those aren't the ONLY fastpitch videos there. Other members have uploaded videos with useful information as well. These videos are all free to view and becoming a member at www.MyFastpitchWorld.com is also free.

One of my favorites is the one I just added on fielding (from sportskool).

Some of you may know how I feel about doing the "alligator." The long and short of it is that I don't care for it. The reason is because of the very issue Mike Candrea warns against in the video - improper positioning of the throwing hand.
I've seen TOO many young player jam their throwing hand fingers because they aren't getting their hand into the correct position for this technique.

Of course, after voicing my opinion and saying that I use a different technique, I've had people ask me what the alternative is. Needless to say, it's not always easy to put softball techniques into words. Sooooo, the reason I like this video is because it shows the "other" technique which is the one I, personally, prefer. It's not more "right" it's just my preference. Like I said, I just see too many not using the proper hand positioning for "securing the ball" with the "alligator." Many players DO use this technique with success (as you will see in this video I've added to Fastpitch World), but if you do use it, or if you do teach it - make sure to emphasize proper positioning of the throwing hand!!!!

Actually, if you look at the picture I found to include here - this is an example of the fielder who is NOT doing the "alligator." Her hands do not form the top and bottom jaw of an "alligator" getting ready to chomp on the ball.

Cool Fastpitch Videos at SPORTSKOOL

Thanks to a Fastpitch World member for giving me the headsup on this website. So far, I've only watched the baserunning video, but there is some GOOD stuff there. If you want information, with a visual video to go along, about pitching, catching, fielding, and more, you have to take a look at this website.

CLICK HERE to go to the page of softball instructional videos.

This link will take you straight to the pitching video.

I hope you enjoy these. Oh yeah, did I mention that it's Mike Candrea and members of the USA National Team that are doing the instructing/demonstration in these videos?

New Freebie on Goal Setting in the Works

Hi, just stopping in to let you know that I'm working on a new resource on goal setting. It's called Avoid These 7 Costly Goal Setting Mistakes.

Not only will I share these 7 goal setting mistakes that I see many people make, I'm also going to share:

• Why Goal Setting is important
• How Goal Setting can help you
• Simple tips that will make you more effective at reaching your goals
  
• How to Avoid the 7 Common and Costly Mistakes in Mention in this resource

I hope to have this resource done by the end of August if not sooner, so I'll keep you updated on it's progress. The information will be in both audio and pdf format. I can get the audio part done quickly, but turning that into a written file is the part that I'm unsure of as far as how long it will take to be completed.

At any rate, stay tuned here or get on my mailing list and I'll keep you updated!

Practice Canceled, Look on the Bright Side

Softball practice for my daughter got canceled today...during the summer, in Hawaii, on the dry side of the island - go figure. It is, what it is, and we're making the MOST of it! Plus, breaks are good every now and then.

This practice cancellation is giving us time to watch a BluRay movie we bought over the weekend together as a family. It's also giving me a chance to prepare a home cooked meal for my family! That's rare these days with everything we have going on, but I'm looking forward to eating Beef Stew on this day of canceled practice!

It can definitely be a challenge to stay on top of things nutritionally during the busy softball season. I don't know about you, but I find our family relying on fast food and take out much more during season. Because eating healthy can be tough during season, I'm working on putting together a resource that answers the most frequently asked fastpitch nutrition questions AND gives you simple tips on how to improve your game with better nutrition. Soooo, if you have ANY questions about nutrition, please post a comment here so that I can cover them in the nutrition resource I'm working on.

I'll keep you posted on the progress of this new resource and will certainly tell you when it's ready. In the mean time, you may also want to check out Fastpitch Juicing which offers Simple Juicing Solutions for Busy Fastpitch Softball People. Enjoy your dinner!

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Grass?

After watching many games over the course of a couple of tournament weekends this summer, I saw something that interests and annoys me at the same time.

What is it?

Middle infielders who are afraid of the big bad grass behind them.

This just drives me bonkers. Some of them seem to have an aversion for going after bloopers that take them away from the safety of the infield dirt onto that plush green outfield grass. Being a middle infielder myself, I just don't understand why some of them don't want to just go after any ball they can get.

Seeing this issue brings a couple of things to mind:

This IS something that needs to be worked on in practice: even infielders need to practice tracking fly balls and pop ups.

Setting up priorities really helps: making it clear whose ball it is when both the infielder and the outfielder are going for it would help when this situation is cause because the infielder doesn't want to run in to the outfielder. The infielders need to have confidence that that ball IS there's unless they hear the outfielder call them off. The outfielder needs to know that when they call for the ball, the infielder WILL back off and give them free reign to charge that ball hard. This also is something that needs to be practiced in practice so that it works during a live situation.

The ones that do it right are so much more impressive: the simple ability for middle infielders to go after any ball and even make a catch deep into the outfield grass makes them look sooooooo much more impressive than the ones that look completely unsure of themselves once they have to take a few steps back. Working on this simple skill can make you, as a middle infielder, look so much better at your position. So if this is something you're weak at, it's a simple area to improve upon. If it's not, keep going after that ball and catching everything you can!

Why Jump Ahead?

Now that summer softball season has begun here in Hawaii, I'm having a chance to see some coaches work with a new bunch of players. They are working with teams who added a bunch of players as older ones moved up, or they are working with entirely new teams who are in their first season together.

One thing I noticed is the tendency for coaches to want to "jump ahead" because games are right around the corner. For me, with a new team especially, some of the things I want the girls to know before the first game are how to field a ball, how to catch a ball, and how to throw a ball. After that, basic infield/outfield coverages, maybe bunt coverage, and how to relay the ball in from the outfield. On the offensive side, we'll probably just go over how to do a sacrifice bunt and go over just a few signals (probably take one, sacrifice, and steal). That's IT unless the girls are ready for more. Obviously I'm talking about younger age groups here where you actually have to teach how to catch and how to set up a relay and such. But even for older girls on more advanced teams, I still would go over this stuff in the beginning to get a feel for where the girls are at.

When I talk about how to field, how to throw, and how to catch, I believe that these basic mechanics should be gone over with EVERYONE in EVERY season. Sometimes you need to spend more time on it, other time the girls are doing things great and you can move on faster, but I still think it should be covered with the team as a whole.

Even with infield/outfield coverages or plays (i.e. where to throw the ball and who covers what base and when) I like to run the whole team through drills/exercises that cover these concepts. For example, I'll often have everyone take and outfield position and have them field/catch fly balls and throw to second, throw to third, and throw home. You never know who you'll need to play outfield and any given time and by putting everyone out there, you at least know you've given every person on your team some practice out there. A great infielder that never practices fly balls can do just horribly in the outfield if they ever have to play out there. This is part of why I like everyone to get some time out there every now and then. Plus it can help infielders get more comfortable tracking, and hopefully catching, those annoying bloopers that try to drop just over the infield.

When teaching relays, I always like to start out with simply setting up lines of girls and teaching them:

• which way to turn after the catch
• how to get rid of the ball quickly
• how to position their bodies before and after the throw/catch etc.

Then take it to the field and cover who is the cover for which plays before ever putting people into positions and hitting balls out for relay practice.

I think you get the idea of what I'm trying to say. I really believe it's much fairer to your players and much more effective to TEACH what you expect before just throwing the girls into the situation and trying to teach as you go.

I've seen coaches just put players in position, hit a ball outfield and tell the girls to "set up the relay." Half the time, I don't even know if the girls knew what that meant because they had never even done a relay before (this is at the 8U/10U level). Then while the ball is in the outfield they are telling the short stop, "You're the cut." I swear the girl was thinking, "What's a cut?" Because as I said, they had never practiced a relay, been taught a relay (what it is, how it's set up), nor did the coach ever go over who is the cuts are for the different outfield plays. This is what I'm talking about when I say coaches are "jumping ahead." All of that should have been introduced to the players before ever setting up a defense, hitting a ball past the outfielder, and asking the players to relay the ball home.

I understand the need and desire to practice these sorts of things before the first game comes around, but trying to teach it as you go just doesn't work as well. You still need to take the time to explain to each person what they are supposed to be doing. It's so much easier if you go over it first, explain and show the girls what's supposed to happen, let them try it AND THEN take it onto the field in a more "live" setting to practice the concept instead of jumping straight to the "live" situation and then stopping your practice each play to try to explain individually to each player what they are supposed to be doing and what is supposed to happen. Not only is this time consuming and possible confusing for the players, but they often times don't get "the whole picture" because usually the coach is only telling a particular player what their individual job is in the grand scheme of things when they try to instruct during the practice of the "whole enchilada." When you then try to put them in a different relay situation, you often have to go and do more explaining for that particular situation. It's much simpler and much more effective to cover all those basics first, then go into practicing the actual application of the skills and concept you're teaching.

One good point I learned from Cindy Bristow is that it really helps to sit down and think about what you want to have covered before the first game of the season. What is it that you want your girls to know by then? Then what do you want them to know by the half way point of the season? Are you going to go over bunt coverage before run downs or the other way around? Make a list of all the things you want to go over defensively and offensively and then prioritize the list and make a plan of what you want the girls to learn and by when.

The point is that "jumping ahead" usually doesn't get you "ahead." It only causes you to have to go back and "re-do" the foundation because you didn't do it right the first time. I have an analogy from dog training which I'm doing a lot of right now, but I'll save that for another day. AND I remember reading something that fits well with this in Coaching the Mental Game, but I can't quite remember it right now, so I'll have to look it up and share that with you on another day as well.

Summer Softball Camps Are Fun

Well, at least the ones I've been to. I have no idea what summer softball camps at universities are like on the mainland US (I do hope to find out one day), but my daughters had a blast at the University of Hawaii camps these past two weeks.

Was it intensive training where they got all their mechanical problems corrected? No. I did hear the coaches giving them great advice though. I love having another source, a fun one at that, give them the same messages I'm also trying to get across when I work with them. Plus, all 3 of my girls who attended camp (ages 7, 8, and 11) all thoroughly enjoyed themselves which is the whole point of being involved with this sport in the first place. That and the fact that I know they all learned at least one new thing at camp makes the experience worth the time and money in my opinion. I just know my girls will be asking to go back next summer.

My oldest daughter even sent me an @reply on twitter to thank me for taking her to camp. Cool beans!

It's all in the FUNdamentals

I'm huge on fundamentals and mechanics - and, as you can see by the title of this post, FUN! You As I've said many times before, fun is so important when it comes to softball, or any sport for that matter. The two times in my life that I SERIOUSLY thought about quitting this game and giving it up completely as a player, the main thought going through my mind was that it wasn't fun any more. I wasn't having fun playing the game and that was the main reason behind dropping the game altogether. That's why I feel it's important to remember that as a coach, especially at the younger ages.

Another thing I'm picky about is fundamentals. I am big on working proper fundamentals, proper mechanics until it's second nature. One of my first softball coaches did this for me and I went back to it time and time again whenever I started to struggle. I've often wondered what kind of player I would have been had that ONE coach not done that because NO coach after her stressed those mechanics and drilled them like she did. I don't know that I would have had that to fall back on if she hadn't been so insistent on going over those fundamentals again and again and again.

Too often I see coaches breeze through the basics. They are so anxious to move on to other more "advanced" skills, but I just don't see the rush if your team hasn't gotten the basics down yet. For example, I've seen 10U coaches want to work on turning the double play when their team has a tough time simply fielding a ball and making a throw. Why even worry about how to turn a double play when you're still having trouble fielding a ball and making good throws? I'm not saying that you should never work on it, but it just seems a little silly to me to drop the work on the basics to "move on" to something like that. I would still work the basics in practice and give it some quality time, then maybe introduce the concept of the double and work it a bit. But to spend all your defensive practice working the double play in that particular situation doesn't make sense to me. Work the fundamentals and those "advanced" plays will come.

Same with when you start pitching. Work those fundamentals! It always baffles me to see coaches/parents/players wanting to go from never pitching before to throwing 5 different pitches in a year. Of course, if you have an unbelievably talented athlete that happens to catch on to the fundamentals and to all of the other aspects of pitching THAT quickly, than by all means, go for it. But most of us don't have that type of superhero ability. Fundamentals is what's going to give you the most power and the most accuracy whether it's throwing overhand or underhand.

If you're looking for a DVD on pitching fundamentals, the one I personally bought is from www.HouseOfPitching.com (Building the House by Bill Hillhouse).

Another one that's currently on special for $19.95 is available at Softball Performance. But that pricing is only going to last for the next day or so. If this is something you've been looking for, now's a good time to get it.

You Make It Their Business

Wow! The drama post brought out some strong feeling/opinions in those who read it. Funny thing is, I just read about another example of it online. This time it was in the online business world and no fist fight broke out, but again, insults, attacks, name calling and your basic drama. However, one of the guys involved admitted he was wrong, admitted that he should have privately contacted the person he was upset with, and admitted that there are so many other things to do than be involved in drama. He also talked about the fact that if you stay away from the NEGATIVE and stay focused on the POSTIVE you'll have much greater returns.

You see, this is not only a lesson for your softball team. This is a lesson for life AND business.

I have one more thing to add to it. Often times people who DO bring their personal life into public areas end up saying something like, "This has nothing to do with you, you should keep your mouth shut and stay out of it."

Well, that's true. Your personal life isn't the business of your teammates....UNTIL YOU CHOOSE to bring it on to the field with you. At that point, YOU'VE made the conscious choice to make your personal business the business of everyone on the team because now your personal issues have invaded team time and space. So if you want everyone to "stay out of it" do NOT bring NEGATIVE opinions/actions/words of anyone onto the field with you. If you have a personal problem with your left fielder, keep it personal and keep it private. Then your SS or your P has no say in how you handle that issue.

However, IF you DECIDE to bring it up in ANY way shape or form during softball time, you've just made it the entire team's business. Again, I'll say it, personal drama has NO place on the softball field and you are not being the best softball player you can be if you bring it there. I'll explain why have such little tolerance for this in another blog post.

If you haven't read the original drama post and left your comments yet, I'd still like to hear from you. Or, if you have thoughts on what was said here, feel free to leave a comment on this post.

5 Great Tips for Enhancing Performance

This has to do with nutrition too. I guess I'm on a little bit of a nutritional roll right now. I think it's because I'm working on another resource for you that will give you all the answers to the most frequently asked nutritional questions on regards to softball. There's still quite a bit more that needs to be done before that resource is ready for you, but for now, I have another nutritional article that I think you'll like.

This article includes 5 simple tips for getting your body to perform at it's highest level when you're on the field. That's something we all would like right? Read the article HERE.

New Article - Help with Hydration for Hot Game Days

Summer is here and there's no doubt we'll all be at the field on some HOT summer days. I know many, many softball moms and coaches want to know what kinds of foods they can take to the field for their players on long hot days. Well, I've got a new free article up that may help just a little. Find out what fruits can help keep your kids, your players, and your team stay hydrated on those hot game days.

Read the article here and feel free to pass this information along to anyone you feel may be interested!

Read the Article

Oh yeah, and if you haven't checked out Fastpitch Juicing yet, remember, I've got a free report available for you there too. Get the free report HERE.

Keep the Drama Off the Field

I went to a non-softball related event this weekend and the whole concept of "keeping the drama off the field" was brought to the forefront of my mind.

This was basically and all day event and there was a little bit of trouble in the beginning of the event, but things were kept under control. But at the end, when it was over and everyone was breaking down a fist fight broke out. Not among kids, not among fans, but among people who were part of the community that was putting on the event.

Of course, the fight made the local newspaper with just one line on at the end of the article that said what other activities happened at the event. Negative stories are what the media is going to eat up, but this fistfight made EVERYONE look bad, not just those involved. They brought personal issues and drama "to the field."

I understand the tension between both sides, BUT when they are out at an event, they are seen as a whole, not as parts. Just as a team is seen as a whole and not as individuals. No matter what personal issues you have with your teammates, if you want the BEST chance at success as a player, you MUST put aside your personal differences when you're on the field. Softball is a TEAM sport and the BEST players know how to do what it takes (including drop the personal drama) to get EVERYONE performing at their best on the field.

People always talk about how girls have so much drama on the team and how boys are so much easier. I don't know...we may have drama, but guys have way too much testosterone sometimes. These guys that were involved in this fist fight at the event were all athletes in their high school years. I'm glad I wasn't on a sports team with them because they obviously didn't learn how to put personal problems aside when it's time to get on the field and be part of a team who is trying to reach a common goal. They also didn't really learn much about how to resolve conflict effectively. I really do think sports can be good training for that. Everyone is out to get you, people will say things to try to put you down, and if you're smart and if you want to be the best, you learn HOW TO DEAL with all of that in a POSITIVE way. Those of you who are still playing this game - I really hope you work on this. I don't want to be reading about you in a newspaper years from now as a 30-something-year-old looking like an idiot because you don't know how to handle the BS that gets thrown in your way and you don't know how and WHEN to handle the conflict in your life. Use softball as an opportunity to practice this because in real life it's much more serious and your actions will carry much heavier consequences than an error or a lost game.

So back to the "Girls and Drama" issue - Yes, girls have drama, but between that and testosterone overload, I'm not sure which is worse. LOL - what are your thoughts?

Free Juicing Information

No, I'm not talking about steriod juicing. I'm talking about the real, fresh fruit and vegetable juicing.

This past year was the busiest softball season I've EVER been a part of. I had virtually no time to cook and my family relied on fast food and take out way more than I would have liked.

Because of the busy season, my daughter's quest to gain weight, my husband's quest to lose weight, our lack of time, and my positive first experience with juicing, I decided that I wanted to learn more about juicing to see if it could help our family.

Are there really health benefits to juicing or is juicing just one of those "health fads?"

Does juicing really provide a nutritional alternative to other beverages and snacks?

What juicer should I use?

What should I juice?

As you can imagine, I had lots of questions. I didn't even know where to start. The one and only time I had tried juicing was at a breakfast buffet and I loved it. However, no one I know juices so I didn't really have anyone to point me in the right direction as far as getting started with juicing. So....I did a bunch of research on my own and put most of it together for you so that you wouldn't have to go searching all over the internet for the information you need to:

~ see how juicing can help you
~ answer your questions about juicing
~ get started with juicing

If you've ever wondered about juicing or wanted more information on getting started, visit www.FastpitchJuicing.com for free juicing information and free juicing articles.

This is Why We Call for the Ball

...and set up priorities (i.e. which players back off to who when more than one players is calling for the ball. It shouldn't just be whoever calls first or loudest.)

Explosive Power for Softball DVD Giveaway

Did you know that Marc Dagenais is GIVING AWAY his Explosive Power for Softball DVD? I didn't know it either until today when I saw the offer up on his website.

This DVD normally sells for $39.95 and he's giving it away free.

In this video a variety of softball and training experts go into great detail explaining and illustrating plyometrics exercises and medicine ball drills for developing greater explosiveness, speed and power for softball.

The DVD also features

• The best plyometrics exercises to increase explosiveness
• Innovative jump and medicine ball drills that you can do anywhere with minimal equipment
  How many sets and reps you should do
• How long your should rest between each set

Of course, this offer isn't going to last forever....
so check it out at Softball Performance. Scroll down and look for the Softball Performance Achievers Club" link. That'll take you over to this free DVD offer.

Coaches and parents, this is a great way to get ideas for helping your players get faster and stronger. And the really cool thing is that it won't cost you anything, so why not take advantage of it? Get your Free DVD.

Marc is a "Softball Authority"

I just found out that Marc Dagenais from Softball Performance has just been featured on National Forum on Girls Fastpitch Softball. Whew - is that a mouthful!

It's a pretty cool website with some great softball pictures and if you've ever wondered just who Marc Dagenais is and why I recommend his stuff, check out the little write up National Forum on Girls' Fastpitch Softball did on him. His "rap sheet" is even longer and more impressive than mine. ;)

National Forum on Girls' Fastpitch Softball also has a cute little "tweet" feature in the left margin that I think you'll have fun with, so click here to check them out.

Oh, one more thing before I go. You know summer is right around the corner! School's out or almost out and I know my kids are looking forward to it. Anyway, if you wanted to be fit for summer you don't have a heck of a lot of time, but Marc now has a new program available that can get you fit in just 3 weeks! Crazy right? Three weeks to get fit, hit harder, and throw with more power. According to Marc, he can help you get ready by the end of June. Don't believe me? See for yourself at Softball Performance.

Free Performance Program For You

Mr. Tom Hanson of www.GetSoftballConfidence.com has put together a free program for you called:

"How to Overcome Failure and Play as Well in Games as You Do in Practice"

Wouldn't that be great? Do you find yourself (or your players) performing great in practice when there's no pressure, but not quite so great in game situations when the play or hit really counts? Find out how you can take your success from practice field into game situations. After all, it doesn't do a whole lot of good if you can hit the ball out of the park in practice, but can't even tough it in the game. It doesn't matter much if you can throw every change-up just right in practice, but don't have any command over it in the game. And it can be very frustrating to field zillions of grounders in practice just fine (and follow it up with a great throw too), but miss the simple ground ball your team needed you to stop in the game.

This free program can help. It includes 5 Lessons which take you step-by-step through the fundamentals of the mental game. Get it now at
http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com/CoachingProgram.pdf

The other day I received an e-mail from a coach who asked for help because his team would often fall apart once errors were made in the game. That made me think of the title of this program "How to Overcome Failure..." Again, this program is designed to lead you through the fundamentals of the mental game which is what needs work if your team is unable to overcome mistakes.

There's no cost, no risk, nothing to lose, just knowledge and simple, helpful tools you can use to improve your softball performance.

Instantly download your free copy of this program at
http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com/CoachingProgram.pdf

After you've had a chance to go through this program, please let me know what you think my clicking on the "What do you think" link below an leaving me a comment.

Speed Training e-Book For You

Okay, I did get that e-book uploaded so that you can download it to your computer. There is no charge, no strings, and no credit card required. Simply click on the link and begin reading

The Complete Speed Training Report: Secrets to Dominant Speed in Every Athlete.

This report was created by Patrick Beith of Athlete's Acceleration who gave me permission to give this report away to you for free. Here are the few things you'll learn in this free 35 page report:

***7 secrets to dominant speed
***The importance of strength training
***How To develop explosive power in your athletes (a great asset for any softball player)
***3 Steps to improving agility (another important asset for softball players)
***Find out what one of the most widely ignored aspects in speed development is and what you can do to address this area in your own training
***The RIGHT way to use conditioning to improve speed

Click Here to download get this Free Speed Training Report now.

Free Speed Training E-Book

I just received permission from Athletes Acceleration to give away The Complete Speed Training Report e-book to you for FREE. No strings attached. I'll have the download link ready for you this week.

This 35 page report covers:

***7 Secrets to Dominant Speed
***Importance of strength training
***Using plyometrics to build explosiveness
***3 steps for agility training
***The RIGHT way to use conditioning to improve speed
***and more

So stay tuned here at the blog for more information. I'll be posting the link where you can download this resource later this week!

Finally Getting Heads Up Baseball

Yes! I finally did it. I finally ordered my very own copy of Heads Up Baseball. It's the book that many, many AAF Members swear by and give their team as required reading. It's the book that I have people write to me about. These people often attribute at least a part their team's success to their players having read this book. So, since my taxes are done and I have a little extra spending money, I'm finally getting the book for myself. None of the local bookstores had it and I couldn't find it in the library, so I had to order it online. But, it's on it's way to me as I type, so I can't wait to get it.

I'm also getting Tom Hanson's new book, Who Will Do What By When, which is a great book for anyone trying to lead a team, whether on the field or in an office. I'm actually getting a few extra copies of this one so that the other coaches I work with can read it too.

If Tom Hanson sounds familiar, he is the co-author of Heads Up Baseball and he is also the guy that runs the Confidence website. He helps players and coaches get up to par with training for the mental aspect of the game. You can check out his website and sign up for his free newsletter at www.GetSoftballConfidence.com. He's got some other cool freebies there as well (look for the "Free Stuff" link), like the 5-day course I just finished "5 Steps to Unstoppable Confidence." Go check it out.

Who Do You Copy

Here's an excerpt of a message I sent out to AAF members recently. I had quite a few responses from it, so I figured I'd share it here were others could check it out too.


When I got back into coaching, I saw a number of things that had changed since I played. One thing that comes to mind is the idea of eliminating the hitch, load, or any backward movement of the bat/hands prior to bringing the bat forward in a swing. The other thing that comes to mind is eliminating the stride from the hitting process.

Now, like I said last week, when I saw this, I tried to keep an open mind. Maybe these coaches had learned something I didn't know during the few years I was away from the game. Then I saw the US National Women's Team play. Do you think I saw anyone on that team trying to shoot their hands forward to the ball without going back first? Do you think I saw all of them swinging without a stride? Not really.

I've heard people say that if you make a back ward movement prior to "starting" your swing you'll be too slow. I've heard that strides are "just timing mechanisms" so you don't really need them. I've heard that the stride only "messes you up." I've even heard some players convinced that the stride messes up their timing. I've heard that the stride is the reason why some players are late on the ball. If they eliminate that stride, they'll be able to catch up to the faster pitches better. etc, etc, etc

When I heard all of this, I had to admit that I'd never tried hitting without a stride or without some kind of "load." So how would I know which way was really "better" or "right?" The answer: watch the best in the game and see what they do. Whenever I have a question about technique, whenever I doubt my own thoughts on the way I've "always done things" I take a look at what the best in the game are doing. Have they picked up "new and improved" techniques that I never used as a player? Sometimes, as in the case of dynamic stretching, the answer is yes. In other cases, I'd say, in most cases, the answer is no. But if I ever wonder, I just look to the best and try to learn from them.

I know I'll hear some people say, "Well, they are the best....they are the fastest, that's why they can afford to take a stride or go "back" with the hands, or use some other technique." To me, that's a backwards way of thinking. It's not "they are elite players so they CAN use that method or technique" .....to me it's "they are the elite players BECAUSE they use these correct/good/right techniques."

Take a look at your game. Are you doing what the best in the game are doing?

Keep Your Catchers Injury Free

I got a question from my good friend Stacie Mahoe from http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com asking me about preventing knee injuries for catchers.

I thought this is information you would like to get.

Yes, catchers have a greater risk of developing knee issues just because catching puts more stress on the knees than any other position.

What can you do to prevent this?

1) Use the Knee Savers. These are support padding that you attach to your shin pads and that gives you good support when squatting down. It takes away close to 85% of the stress when resting before you get into your catching position.

Some people think it makes your catcher lazy. To me, you can't play with knee safey. However, I don't buy the lazyness thing. A good coach will know how to properly train their catcher and if the catcher is hard-working, this is a non-issue.

Now, it is not mandatory to wear them but it can really help to prevent a lot of the stress placed on the knees.

2) Do Hindu Squats - old, silly-looking, martial art exercise that many personal trainers would tell you "It's bad for the kneess" exercise because the heels are coming off the ground but guess what.. every catcher has their heels coming off the ground.

It is actually a great muscular endurance exercise for catchers. I would do 50-100/day several days a week.

After that, you catcher will have the best conditioned legs of any catcher in your league.

Check this exercise:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPSVpo4mzNI

3) I would get also get them to do single-leg squats for strength and stability. They are killers but boy do they work.

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu-6ywxbu1A


4) Make sure you teach proper catching techniques; especially the basic catching position. You want to make sure that their weight is well-distributed. Teach them good fundamentals and you will take a lot of the stress away.

From experience, most softball players with knee problems are not catchers but former/current gymnasts, basketball or soccer players.

Make your catchers injury-proof.

Who loves ya? ;-)

Marc
"Your Personal Softball Peak Performance Coach"

Get Fast Like These Champs

I just bought another one of Coach K's programs and I just thought I'd share an article with you from Coach K's website (the hill sprinting guy).

Sprinting Hills: 7 Champions Who Found The Quickest Way To Get Fit, Fast and Lean

If you are like most athletes out there, you are looking for a simple solution. You are looking for training that can simultaneously:

Improve your speed

Increase your strength and power

Get you lean and mean

Raise your endurance levels

All without adding huge amounts of time to your already hectic workout schedule.

And if you are like most athletes, in the quest for this perfect training, you have wasted precious time and money on the latest and greatest, hi-tech supplements, exercise equipment, training apparatus and fad diets.

But, the truth is the answer is not really that hard at all. It goes something like this:

1. Find a hill.

2. Start at the bottom.

3. Run up as fast as you can.

4. Walk down.

5. Repeat.

Think this seems too simple? Many people do. But, if you need some convincing, take a look at what hill sprinting has done for these sports legends:

Football legend Walter Payton made hill sprints his bread and butter... they carried him to the NFL rushing record and the Hall of Fame.

Another gridiron great, Jerry Rice ran legendary make you puke hill sprints... and was still playing in the NFL at age 40.

Running back Marcus Allen... all he did was win the Heisman and become Super Bowl MVP with hill sprints.

Linebacker Junior Seau has played 17 years in the NFL and made over 1200 tackles using hill sprints... sometimes while carrying a partner on his back.

Defensive end Simeon Rice stays relentless in the 4th quarter due to his hill sprint training... he has 119 sacks in 11 years to show for it.

Jets running back Curtis Martin - who rushed for 1000 yards in each of his first 10 seasons and has over 100 career touchdowns - regularly runs the hills of Santa Monica, California during the offseason.

Even Lance Armstrong - although on a bike - has made hill sprints a staple of the training that won him 7 Tour de France titles.

And that's not all... besides these incredible athletes, plenty of people who need to stay in top shape run hill sprints. From old time strongmen to police and fire departments, from the elite military forces of the world to Olympic sprinters and from NBA stars to baseball's best... all know the secret power of this training. Yes, the toughest of the tough use hill sprints to stay strong, powerful and in tip-top shape.

Give them a shot and get ready for some serious results.

Run Fast Not Hard

Coach K

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006


If you think this applies just to sprinters or just to football players...think again. Learn more about Coach K's program and sign up for his free newsletter today - CLICK HERE.

Sale at Softball Performance

I know a lot of you already know about Marc Dagenais' Softball Performance website. If you've been around this site for a while or if you're a fastpitch member, then it's almost impossible for you not to know about it.

Anyway, Marc's site is full of great information for improving your softball performance. However, right now it's undergoing a major renovation and because the site is temporarily unavailable due to the changes being made, Marc is holding a HUGE Renovation Sale! He's offering big discounts on some of his best products right now. Also - for those of you who've been interested in his Softball Performance products, but just couldn't afford the chunk of change all at once, Marc is now offering a Payment Plan to make it easier for you to get his super bundles!

Check it out before all the super bundles are sold! Click here

Get in Shape for 2008

Hot off the press! I just found out that Marc Dagenais, peak performance expert of Softball Peformance, is offering his LOWEST price on his Fully PERSONALIZED, Softball-Specific Program. This special low, low price is available today only.

It's the New Year and you know everyone (including your competition) has their mind on getting in shape for the upcoming season. But who will actually TAKE ACTION and do it? Start today and get Marc's High-Performance, Fully Personalized, Softball Specific program and get into the best softball shape ever. Click Here and get going today. Make it a great 2008! His prices will be going up tomorrow so don't wait.

Softball and Life - Dealing with Adversity

One thing I love about softball, and sports in general, is that it really can prepare you for challenges in life. Right now, my family and I are going through a bit of a challenging time with selling our house and buying another. We are in escrow to sell, but it seems like nothing is going the way that it should. There seem to be surprises and set backs at every turn. But somehow I know that everything will work out eventually even if it all takes longer than we originally planned. Even after the latest set back that I just found out this morning, I'm feeling rather peaceful about the whole thing. I'm not discouraged and I think a lot of my ability to stay positive and focused on the "big picture" comes from my experience with softball.

There are many times during a season or even just in the course of a game when things just don't go as planned, when your team faces unexpected challenges and obstacles. Yes, they can be frustrating, but in a way, I actually embrace this adversity. Why? Because if you can face these challenges head on and overcome these obstacles on the field, chances are that you can do the same in life. So when I see players working through problems and continue working toward their goals, I love it because I know that they will probably be just fine in the "real world." On the other hand, if they have a really tough time on the field, I worry because if they can't pull it off on the field, having fun playing a game they enjoy, how are they going to find a way in life? How will they be able to deal with adversity at work when they are at a job that they don't necessarily love or look forward to going to every day? How will they be able to face challenges in those types of situations when they can't even do it in a sport they love?

This is why teaching the attitude/mental part of the game is sooooo important to me. Those are the skills that really transfer into life. While throwing, fielding, and hitting mechanics are important and things that I'm quite picky on as well, it's really the "intangibles" that I like to see develop. You can have the best mechanics in the world at practice, but if your mind is not strong enough to allow your body to perform at it's peak in the game, it really doesn't matter how great you are in practice does it?

If you need help with this area of the game, sign up for a free mental game newsletter at GetSoftballConfidence.com.

Functional Training for Athletes

Today I was looking for articles on training for speed because I LOVE using speed in softball. It's such a great asset to have as a player. Of course, it's also nice for a coach to have players with speed. So in my search I came across an article from a guy named Vern.

In this article, there were some interesting tips like:
~ eliminate distance running
~ speed training for youngsters (9-10 yrs old for example) should be FUN
~ hip mobility is important
~ ALWAYS stress proper technique (this is something mentioned here at AAF too)
~ remember to address the CORE in any strength program

I thought some of the point in his article were quite interesting and many of them along the lines of things mentioned here at AAF. So what I found out was that this guy Vern has books and videos out and they are available online. Simply go to Amazon and search for Vern Gambetta. You'll see some of his products. The one I thought was interesting was Functional Training for Athletes at All Levels: Workouts for Agility, Speed, and Power. This book includes helpful icons which show readers when an exercise applies to their sport and when it is useful for specific movements like sprinting, throwing, jumping, or changing direction.

This is just another resource to help you improve your game with speed. There are a bunch out there and a bunch mentioned at this site. I think they all have their strong points and some will connect with you more than others. So this is just another resource for you to check out to see if it's something that will help you. Enjoy!

How to Stay in Shape During Winter

Whew - I'm finally back from our family vacation and we had a blast. Part of our trip was spent in NJ were the weather was quite a bit cooler than here in Hawaii. You can tell that during this time of year, the weather is beginning to change. Summer weather is just about gone and winter weather is approaching. This is also about that time when I get questions like "How can I stay in shape during the winter?"

Well, don't forget, we have an article in our resident experts column called
Exercises to Keep You Strong and Powerful This Winter

So that's one place to start.

Other things you could incorporate are:
~ plyometric exercises
~ uphill fitness training (learn how to use the stairs in your house to get into great physical shape)
~ jumping rope (listen to music while you jump)
~ practice mechanics in a mirror with rolled up socks, nerf balls, a ball made of crunched up newspaper, or no ball as all

Another thing I recently found out about is the personalized softball-specific training program offered at Softball Performance. If you want to get into serious softball shape during this off season, this may be the route for you. You can get a brand-new, cutting-edge, totally personalized training program every month.

Get all the info at Softball Performance - > Performance Tools -> Conditioning Programs.

Hope you get into GREAT shape for next season!

Are You in the Inner Circle?

In this month's newsletter sent out to AAF Members, I mentioned that many AAF members and visitors were taking advantage of the great resources over at Softball Performance. I was curious to see what resource seemed to be most popular so I took at look at exactly which resources our visitors and members where taking advantage of. The most popular choice this month is the Inner Circle Membership.

If you are a SERIOUS and COMMITTED softball player, coach, or parent, the Inner Circle may be just what you are looking for.

As an Inner Circle member you will...

~ have access to softball experts who are happy to answer your questions as well as encourage you and support your drive toward becoming a huge softball success story.

~ have access to an ELITE and private membership site and discussion forum

~ receive monthly MP3 audio recordings which reveal performance tips, breakthroughs, techniques, and strategies to help you achieve your softball performance goals

~ Free access to teleclasses and webcasts

~ call-in days for personal one-on-one attention to address your specific questions

~ and much more....

The founder of Softball Performance, Marc Dagenais, is a peak performance softball coach and will personally help guide you to improved performance with the interactive membership of the Inner Circle. At his website you can find testimonials from the likes of Doug Finch, Lauren Bay, Ernie Parker, and other softball greats.

For more information on what the Inner Circle can do for you, visit Softball Performance and click on the Inner Circle link at the top of the page.

New Article - Getting in "The Zone"

Hi, just dropping in really quick to let you know that I've put up a new article. This article talks about a way to help yourself get in "The Zone" for better softball performance. Click the link below to read this article...

Help Yourself Get in "The Zone"

If you haven't been to our Articles page in a while, go check it out. I've finally got a few new things up.

Never Underestimate the Power of the Mind

Power of your mind and what you think really hit home for me when I was in college. We had a speaker come in and talk to us about this very topic. He then asked us to imagine that we were in the paper cup he was holding in this hand. He asked us to focus on that cup. He walked us through what our world was like in the cup. He described to us what we were seeing and what we felt in our "world" so that we could really visualize and imagine what he was talking about. Then, very unexpectedly, while he was talking, he crushed the cup in his hand. Every single one of us in the room jumped in our seats! Our bodies physically responded to what our minds where thinking.

From that point on, I had a whole new understanding of just how much influence my mind had over my body.

So if you don't think that the thoughts in your mind affect your body and how your perform on the field, think again. Your mind is a very strong and powerful tool that can either work for you or against you. Learn more about how to make it work for you at Heads Up Performance.

Again, this is another one of those "life lessons" that apply not only to softball, but to other areas of life as well. There are many other situations in which positive thinking, positive affirmations, or visualization help you be more successful. I'll tell you a little more about that later. But for now, head on over to Heads Up Performance and find out how you can gain the mental strength you to achieve great things.

Yeah! It's Ready!

Oh my goodness! I didn't think it would happen quite this fast, but the brand new SoftballPerformance.com is READY!

You have to check it out because it is FULL of great softball resources, such as:

~ 52 Week Softball Training System
~ The Softball Peformance Inner Circle
~ Pitching Speed Enhancement System
~ Speed and Agility Enhancement System
~ Plus LOTS of great freebies to help improve your game!

So be one of the FIRST to check it out because the site just went live today!

CLICK HERE to get the tools you need to improve your Softball Peformance!

Awesome Softball Peformance Resources

I just got a sneak peek at the new and improved Softball Performance website. It's not quite ready to launch yet, but it is FULL of amazing information and resources for fastpitch softball. I can't quite tell you all about it yet. BUT, what I can tell you is that I'm going to be talking with Marc Dagenais, owner of Softball Performance, on the next Fastpitch Talk Radio show and we will be discussing the new website as well as some of the very cool resources available there.

Barring any major catastrophes, the Fastpitch Talk Radio show with Marc should be up and ready for you to listen to on Monday, April 16! Don't miss it!

New Resident Expert - Marc Dagenais

We've just added a new resident expert to our team. Mr. Marc Dagenais will be joining us here at AllAboutFastpitch.com. Marc is a softball peak performance coach and also runs www.SoftballPerformance.com. He is well respected in the softball community and is also a regular contributor with Fastpitch Forever Magazine and in the NFCA newsletter.

Learn more about Marc at our Meet the Experts Page and be on the lookout for his first contribution to our column later this month.